Pentecost Sunday, 30 May 1982, saw the visit of Pope St John Paul II to Liverpool. A million people lined the route of the Holy Father into the city following his helicopter journey from Coventry to Speke Airport. His Holiness briefly visited Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral to say the Lord's Prayer before making his way to celebrate Mass at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King. Here the importance of the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) and forgiveness was emphasised during his homily: ‘There is no sin that cannot be forgiven, if we approach the throne of mercy with humble and contrite hearts. No evil is more powerful than the infinite mercy of God. In becoming man, Jesus entered completely into our human experience, even to the point of suffering the final and most cruel effect of the power of sin: death on a cross.’ Bishop Vincent Malone, oversaw the organisation of the Pope's visit to the North and was struck by the impact His Holiness had on young people: ‘One of the things that sticks in the mind is at the end of the Mass we’d arranged that the Piazza outside the Cathedral would be occupied by young people because there was a high pressure on spaces... He said various encouraging things to them...”You are the living Cathedral of Christ the King”, which of course got a great round of applause.’

Papal visit

Others who perhaps just come out of interest and are very moved by it. It has a very calming effect on people